Sacred Blossom
by Beige Eclipse
Summary: What if the Third kept Naruto's lineage a secret? What if, because of this, the villagers use naruto as a scapegoat? And what would happen if a certain masked ninja found out that his master had a son? Join Naruto as he learns to adapt to life with a new adoptive father, and Kakashi as he learns to care for someone other than himself.
1. Revelation

(Hello there, Beige here. I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. This story is rated T, but will have some dark material later on. Trigger warnings will be given before the chapters if this is the case, but other than that, there won't be anything that wouldn't be in the actual anime or manga. At any rate, I know most people skip reading these notes anyways, so I hope you like this story. It will be in Kakashi's POV unless otherwise specified, enjoy!)

Another A-rank done I guess. I sighed as I made my way down the hallway leading towards the Hokage's office. I passed the last Anbu guard leading down the curved hallway, noting tiredly how far away he was from the office. I was too worn from my mission to process that this meant sensitive information was being shared. All I wanted to do was give my report and go home for the day. It wasn't until I heard screaming that I became more alert to my surroundings.

"Why haven't you told them?"

"It wouldn't change anything!"

"They have a right to know! Naruto has a right to know!"

I knew that voice. That was Jiraiya, the author of my beloved Icha Icha series, but what were he and the third arguing about? Naruto… That name sounded familiar… Ah, the demon boy. I've been taking on so many missions to numb my mind that I almost forgot his name. What about him? Was there an issue with Sensei's seal? I knew I shouldn't have eavesdropped, but I was sleep deprived and curious.

"My decision is final!"

"You stubborn old fool! Minato wanted his son to be seen as a hero, not as the beast within him! For Kami's sake, the boy's being abused! The guards you send to protect him don't do jack, and you know he deserves better!"

I nearly collapsed. Naruto was Minato's son? I was led to believe that Kushina's baby died that night. The Kyuubi's claw went straight through her and Sensei. But… Thinking back to that night. I never did see any… remains. I tuned in for more, but Hiruzen was taking a long pause. Finally, he responded.

"I do not go back on my word…"

I could hear Jiraiya sneer and exit through the window. I was frozen in place for several moments, but I finally composed myself and knocked on the door. Hiruzen allowed my entry and gave me a knowing look. Of course, he wouldn't be our Hokage if he couldn't detect me through his office door. I cleared my throat however and recited my mission report robotically. Neither of us brought up the previous conversation, and I was allowed to leave once my report was given.

I'd like to say that I immediately went to look for my Sensei's son, but I needed time to process the information. I went straight home and face planted onto my bed, falling into as deep a sleep as any trained Anbu could. My dreams were painted with the violence from that horrendous night only five years ago.

(I know, I know, the chapter is a bit on the short side. I Promise future chapters will be longer. Till then, I hope you stay tuned. Beige, out.)


	2. Adoption

(Ahh! I didn't even notice that the data was corrupted the first time I posted this! I think it has something to do with me copying and pasting from my google docs where I write and edit this story... Sorry about that, hopefully this chapter isn't crazy... Enjoy!)

I requested some well earned leave after I discovered the truth, and no one argued. I'd been taking on the harshest of solo A-rank missions with a few S-rank missions sprinkled in between for the past five years. I'd piled up at least seven months of sick leave, and I was gonna use them. I tailed Naruto every day, and was horrified at what I saw. His apartment was small, but neat, not that he had very much in the first place, but it was stocked almost entirely of instant ramen and other non-perishables. I discovered why when I found that he was turned away from almost every main market, and that the few shops that would actually accept his business would only offer expired and rotten goods. Ramen was the only exception, as with all the ramen restaurants around, hardly anyone actually bought the cheap stuff, though they raised the price on it by at least three times. Still, Naruto never complained.

His wardrobe was and simple and small, a few stained shirts, ripped shorts, and old worn pants. There were a few alarmingly neon pieces, but I discovered that Naruto would occasionally look in dumpsters around the village, salvaging what clothing and materials he could use. The neon pieces were much newer than the others. But the explanation for that I discovered when a small shopkeeper threw a bright orange jacket at the young boy, yelling at him to become the one ninja with a bright orange target on his back.

It was alarming how many civilians, and even low ranked ninjas I had to intercept in order to keep the small boy safe, and I wondered why he always twitched at the slightest noise. I observed him for two weeks before I'd had enough. He'd only strayed two meters from one of the main markets in Konoha, and two employees were out the door, armed with brooms, running straight towards the blond boy. He didn't even scream, he just instinctively began running through the crowd.

"I didn't enter your store, why are you chasing me?"

One of the armed assailants yelled back, "You're like a black cat! Don't walk in front of our store if you know what's good for you! you bring bad luck and bad business!"

"I got it, just don't hurt me!"

Before they could reply, Naruto tripped, and I reacted instinctively, blocking the two brooms with my kunai. The metal sunk deep into the wooden hilts, and everything around us fell silent. Everyone stopped in their tracks, just staring at the scene before them. I could sense Naruto look up at my back, but I turned my gaze to the two store employees, letting some of my killer intent leak to keep them in line.

"Now, I know you weren't about to beat up a small child for walking in front of your store, am I right?"

One started, "But-"

"No buts! Get back to work or I'll make sure Lord Hokage gets involved."

The two paled and nodded, scrambling back the way they came. Once they were gone, I turned to Naruto and helped him up. He took my hand reluctantly, staring at what was visible of my face, probably trying to see what my expression was. I made a deliberate smile and he recoiled. I'd watched Lord Hokage's casual visits, and he generally beamed at any and all smiles the old man made. I frowned at this and merely bowed my head slightly before disappearing before his eyes. I landed on a nearby rooftop and observed as Naruto dusted himself off and ran home. I turned and glared at nearby anbu before following. Once he was home safely, I darted to the Hokage's tower.

Hiruzen was doing some paperwork when I arrived, but he placed it down upon my arrival. "I'd like to adopt Naruto Uzumaki. As he doesn't live at an orphanage, I thought to come to you."

Hiruzen took a long drag of his pipe before sighing. "You are not to tell him or anyone of his lineage, nor of what resides within him. Is that clear?" I nodded and he personally rose from his seat to take me to Naruto's apartment. He knocked while I stayed behind him. Naruto grinned widely when he cracked the door, jumping Hiruzen with a hug.

"Old man! Something weird happened today!"

I leaned from around Hiruzen to wave and Naruto visibly stiffened. Hiruzen ignored this and stated, "Naruto, Kakashi here has requested to adopt you." Naruto's face turned skeptical. Hiruzen ruffled the blond's hair affectionately and continued, "I can assure you that Kakashi here will take good care of you, but I wanted your opinion before I made my choice."

Naruto turned his gaze to me and I bowed slightly affirming, "I will care for you as if you were my own. You have my word."

Slowly looking me up and down, he finally smiled and nodded. "Ok, I believe you."

I sighed in relief as Sarutobi smiled and said, "Go pack your things then." Naruto chuckled as his already messy hair was ruffled again and hopped into his apartment. Hiruzen gave me a stern look before he departed. It meant many things. Keep him safe, keep him happy, and not a word of previous subjects, among many things. I knew that if he were able, Hiruzen would have taken Naruto in himself, but as the Hokage, he was physically and politically unable.

Once his presence was erased, I walked into Naruto's apartment. He was stuffing ramen cups into a duffel bag. I was about to ask him to pack more essential things, but I could see that what little clothing he had along with a well used toothbrush were underneath the pile of noodles. He flinched slightly when he turned and saw me behind him, but took a breath to calm himself and looked around his apartment.

"We, uh, might have to make a few trips to bring all my plants." Indeed, there were pots everywhere. I'd noticed his little gardening hobby, but I didn't realize just how many plants he had till they were all sitting on his kitchen table. "I like knowing that I can take care of such fragile things, and that I'm needed by things that depend on me."

I smiled and ruffled his hair stating, "That's very noble. I can put them in a scroll for easy transport, no need for more than one trip." Naruto smiled at me, and I was happy that he was finally warming up to my presence. After I rolled a scroll out on the floor, we began placing plants onto the small seal marks. When I grabbed a small sapling however, Naruto stopped me.

"Wait! I wanna carry that one." I blinked, but set the plant down and he pushed it slightly away from the edge of the table explaining, "This one's special. I'm growing it for someone I like."

"Someone you like?"

Naruto nodded asserting, "She doesn't really like me now, but once this tree is all grown up, there's no way she'll turn me down."

"Tree?"

"Yeah, It's a cherry blossom tree. I know it'll be a long time before it's all grown up, but it'll be a long time before we're all grown up too."

I smiled at the look of determination on his face and we continued placing plants on my scroll. Once everything was ready, I sealed them with a handsign. Naruto stared in awe as I rolled up the now full scroll. He grabbed the end of my shirt as I was closing it demanding, "Teach me to be a ninja!"

I looked at the determination on his face, adorable with his chubby cheeks and smiled, "Maa, how could I say no to that face?" Naruto threw his fist into the air in victory and started jumping around. I laughed and swiped up his duffel bag before he could protest. He looked at me then, his gaze telling me that he didn't think that was fair, but I patted his head stating, "You're carrying something precious, I'll take care of the rest of your stuff. He nodded reluctantly and we set off.

"So, if that's a tree, shouldn't it be planted in the ground? It can't stay in that pot forever."

Naruto looked towards the ground and furrowed his brows stating, "I know, but I'll still have to take care of it. I wanna plant it where everyone can see, but if anyone finds out that I planted it, they'll wanna destroy it."

I nodded and said, "We'll figure out something, but like you said, it'll be a few years before it's ready for that transplant. Naruto nodded too, but stiffened suddenly and curled around his plant. He sensed it before even I did, and by then, it was too late. A ball of mud was flung through the crowd, making a direct hit on Naruto's back. Part of me marveled at his reflexes, but the rest of me flared in anger. Scanning the crowd, I saw two snickering teenagers high-fiving.

I glared daggers as I marched over, killer intent radiating from me. "What's so funny?"

Both boys looked at me, gauging my mood, stammering, "We, landed a direct hit, sir."

My glare turned more steely as I began twirling a kunai questioning, "Do you know who that boy is?"

The other teen swallowed a lump in his throat squealing, "Who doesn't"

I gripped the kunai then, asserting, "Good. Tell all your friends that he is now off limits, you got that? If anything happens, I'm sure Lord Hokage wouldn't mind a few… disappearances here and there."

Their eyes widened as one stated, "You wouldn't. You couldn't."

I raised a brow. "Try me." My face held no trace of falseness, and both boys nodded, scrambling away.

Once they were gone, I got on one knee and began brushing Naruto off. He kept his gaze forward, but said, "You did it again."

I finished what I was doing and began walking before replying, "I'll do it as many times as I need to. If anyone tries to mess with you, tell me. I'll deal with it, ok?" I could feel the tension in Naruto disperse as he finally relaxed around me. He nodded and we continued to walk towards my apartment. Once we arrived, I set his stuff down on the kitchen table. I hadn't really planned this through, and my one room apartment seemed smaller now. I sat Naruto down at the kitchen table as I cleared out my room. I didn't own much, so it only took about half an hour, and then I moved Naruto's stuff inside.

His plants turned the room into a greenhouse, and I frowned at everything in the duffel bag. After staring at it with disdain for several minutes, I told Naruto that we were going shopping.

His eyes widened as he yelled, "You can't! They'll hurt me!"

My shoulders sagged at this, but I got on one knee, staring him straight in the eye as I said, "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Naruto's little brows were furrowed, but after a few moments, he held out his pinkie asking, "Pinkie promise?"

I smiled at the childish gesture and wrapped my pinkie tightly around his stating, "Pinkie promise."

(Sorry again to those of you who saw this chapter when it was corrupted. I need to be more vigilant in the future, but I'm very new to this site! Till next time!)


	3. Kaoru

(I have a small confession to make. I actually wrote this story a long time ago back in high school, but in a notebook. I had written it specifically for one scene, but have expanded on it beyond that point. I still need to work on it in google docs a bit before posting it here, but it is pretty cliche in the beginning. The chapters will probably vary in length since instead of worrying about the word count, I worry about content and cut chapters in places that would most fit to me. I still need to get used to using this site, it's a little complicated to me. Hopefully I don't have to redo this chapter because it corrupts again! I hope you enjoy, and sorry for the overly extreme Naruto hate and other cliche things, I hadn't really expected to post this when I was writing it back in the day.)

Naruto changed his dirty shirt, but before we left, I put my hand on his shoulder and told him to think of a form. After a moment, he closed his eyes and I poured my chakra into him, using the transformation technique with my own chakra. I must say, he was an expert in subtility. His whisker marks disappeared and his complexion turned pale while his hair and eyes became chocolate brown. Really, It was quite effective.

I brought him to one of my favorite ninja shops once we were both ready. I'd been going to them since I was small, so I knew they had gear that would fit Naruto's size. If they didn't, I knew they'd make it. All of my summons had custom made gear from here. I was one of their best customers. Not surprisingly, Guy was ogling things in the wearable weight section. He was another one of their regulars.

I tried to ignore him, but I swear he could sense me and walked right over. "Greetings, my eternal rival! What brings you to this fine shop today?"

Naruto had immediately scampered around me, standing on the opposite side of the green-clad man. I sighed replying, "I adopted… Kaoru here. He wants to be a ninja, but he doesn't have the right gear yet.

Guy looked at the small boy hiding behind me and rubbed his chin. "That's very noble of you, but, might I ask, why have you decided to adopt him?" Naruto's face fell, but Guy continued, "I mean, I have known you my entire life, and yet every year you refuse to take on students. Of course I refuse because having to watch kids would make me feel like a father, and thus, I would not be youthful anymore, but, despite all my efforts, you still try to avoid all contact with others."

I was silent for several moments before replying, "I will still continue to refuse any requests to become a Jounin sensei, however Kaoru here is a special case. In fact, he is a bridge case."

Guy's eyes widened. Bridge was my code word that something was an S-ranked secret. He nodded and smiled at Naruto, giving a thumbs up before stating, "No need to fear, if you're with Kakashi, then big brother Guy will be there to have your back!"

Naruto shuffled more behind me and I sighed, "Guy, may we shop in peace? You can visit my apartment some other time and meet Kaoru formally, but for now, we've got errands to run."

Guy did an awkward dance as he stood up straight stating, "Of course! We will meet again, young Kaoru!" And with that, Guy left the store, not buying anything.

Naruto looked to me and I sighed again explaining, "I needed to think of a name for your disguise. That man was Might Guy. We've known each other for a long time now. He's eccentric, but he's not a bad person. I'm sure he wouldn't mind knowing your true identity, but he'd blab it to everyone, and as soon as it was public that I had adopted you, it wouldn't matter what disguise you came up with. Now though, we should be ok for a while."

Naruto nodded at my explanation and we began to shop. Naruto picked out several pieces that I approved of. Shorts, T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, and pants, all in varying shades of black, navy blue, brown, and forest green. He also picked out a green vest with a light mesh armor inside that was flexible and would guard against projectile weapons such as kunai and shuriken. Once we figured out his shoe size, which his current shoes were not, we grabbed a pair of durable ninja sandals. I would have nabbed more, but I knew that he was growing and that these sandals would do until he outgrew them. Once that was done, we went grocery shopping. I was running low on food, and with another person moving in, it was probably a good idea to restock. I made sure to buy plenty of veggies, and Naruto didn't complain.

On our way home, Naruto asked, "Why? Why are you treating me so well?"

I was silent for a while, but divulged, "I knew your parents." He looked at me with wide eyes and I continued, "I can't say much more than that, but just know that they were wonderful people. Don't tell Lord Hokage that I told you." Naruto nodded and we spent the rest of the walk home in silence. I knew that Naruto was thinking of what I said. I mentally slapped myself for not getting Naruto a new bag when we got home, but I'd get one later. After storing his ramen cups in the cupboards, only as a treat from now on, I stared at what counted for his clothes still in the duffel bag.

"Did you want to keep these?" Naruto deliberated for a moment before shaking his head. I nodded and said, "Let's have a bonfire." Naruto smiled and I brought the clothes to the apartment's fire pit. Really, it was just a hole where Guy had performed a dynamic entry that everyone was too lazy to fill in, but when someone started a fire in it, it became the apartment's fire pit. I tossed the articles in the ash-ridden hole and used a quick fire jutsu to light them. Naruto gaped in awe.

"With you teaching me, I'll become Hokage in no time!"

I looked at the smiling boy and questioned, "Hokage?"

Naruto nodded vigorously stating, "If I become Hokage, then nobody'll hate me anymore!"

I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "That's a tough dream you have there." He began to look down, but I quickly followed, "So we'll have to start right away. I'll show you stances first, and then we'll start with basic techniques. Transformation definitely, so you can turn into Kaoru without my help." Naruto's face turned euphoric as I said this, his expression mimicking that of my old teammate's. I wouldn't let anything like that happen to Naruto. Not ever.

(Ahh, It's so cliche, even to me, haha. Well, of course there can't be a story without conflict, so Kakashi should know that protecting Naruto forever is impossible. Until nest time guys, Beige out!)


	4. Sacred

(I don't plan to stick around for their entire childhood years, just long enough for a certain event. Then we can get back to the normal [pre?]teen years as genin. Hope you enjoy the chapter!)

Six months passed and Naruto was shaping up quite nicely. He had great reflexes, he just needed proper technique. He had a tremendous supply of chakra and latent ability, he just needed proper guidance on how to use it. The academy was great, but they just couldn't focus on any one child individually, and there was no question as to why tutoring my ward was low on their list of priorities. He was a quick learner, but written work was not his strong-suit. Teaching by example worked so much better, but in the end, he did have to learn how to focus on written assignments.

There was one issue around the fifth month of him staying with me. I was running out of sick leave and had to start going on missions again. By this time, he'd learned the transformation technique, so I didn't have to worry about him in public as much, but I still worried nonetheless. He had his own house key, but he was still so young. As a precaution, I would have one of my summons watch over him. They adored the boy once they got to know him, and Naruto was ecstatic to have more company. He thought that my "talking doggies" were cool.

When they couldn't watch him, I hired a babysitter of sorts. Itachi Uchiha. He was a capable lad worthy of teaching Naruto in my stead. He happily agreed to watch Naruto whenever possible, and as long as Naruto kept the transformation up, Fugaku wouldn't have to know a thing. Becoming Kaoru was second nature to Naruto now, and he used it so often that most of the village almost forgot there ever was a Naruto. Things became more peaceful around Konoha.

Naruto's cherry blossom was growing splendidly. We even had to transplant it to a bigger pot. We were planning on moving it to the main field right by the graveyard around Naruto's sixth birthday. Naruto began to excel in the academy, but he could never surpass two students. Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno I remember him telling me. He wasn't jealous, and there was even a tone of fondness when he said their names.

Naruto had to be himself at the academy for obvious reasons, but whenever he was with Itachi, and Sasuke by extension, he was Kaoru. I don't even think Sasuke noticed yet. The two boys got along splendidly whenever I was able to pick Naruto up from the Uchiha residence, but at school, they wouldn't even acknowledge each other's presences. When I asked, Naruto explained to me that Itachi had told him to keep his identity a secret. Sasuke wouldn't be able to keep the secret around their father for long, and that would mean he couldn't come over anymore. Sasuke, like the other children, tended not to hang around Naruto due to what their parents told them. I bristled a bit at that, but I really wasn't surprised.

It came as a shock to me when Itachi requested that Sasuke spend the night at my place one day, but though I was suspicious, I agreed. That night was the massacre. Neither of the boys could accept that Itachi was the one who did it. No matter what I said, they ignored me and vowed to find whoever framed him. I supposed it was for the best. I took in Sasuke at Naruto's request, with Hiruzen's blessing of course, but Naruto refused to take off his transformation. I told him that he wouldn't have to worry, but he didn't listen. He was able to keep up the charade for three days before I woke up to a crash and Sasuke's shriek of horror.

"What are you doing here, Dobe?"

I rushed to the room they were sharing and saw Naruto on the bed staring in mute horror at Sasuke's feet. I looked to see Sasuke in front of the window, staring at Naruto. The cherry blossom had gotten too big to be on any shelf or desk, so it was in a pot on the floor. Sasuke had knocked it down in his confusion and was standing on it. There was dirt everywhere, the sapling's delicate roots were exposed, and Sasuke was standing right on the trunk, which had snapped and was connected only by a thin strip of remaining material.

I reacted quickly, scooping Sasuke into my arms and placing him on the bed while explaining, "Naruto's Kaoru, Sasuke. He was afraid to tell you. You two talk while I fix this, ok?" I didn't wait for a reply as I gathered the plant and rushed to the one place I knew of that could possibly salvage all of Naruto's hard work. Inoichi's wife was currently manning the front register at the Yamanaka flower shop, but I hurriedly blurted, "Please, can you help fix this plant?"

She blinked a few times, walking around the counter and taking the load out of my arms before questioning, "Is this a cherry blossom tree? Wow, what a rare breed. I didn't know you took up gardening, this is a hard plant to grow, lots of specifications, but it's so healthy!"

I interrupted, "Yes, yes, can you fix it?"

Mrs. Yamanaka smiled and replied, "Of course. We just need to put a bit of formula in it's soil to help the roots recover and use a bit of grafting tape to fix the stem."

I nodded and stated, "Good, good, just do whatever needs to be done, that plant is very precious."

She laughed again, pulling out different boxes from her shelf stating, "I would hope so, there are many people who would kill to get a sapling this healthy. You really know your stuff." Probably hearing the commotion from upstairs, Inoichi walked down and into the shop area. He stopped, seeing me in the shop for once. His wife smiled as she greeted him, "Oh hi, Honey. Kakashi had a bit of a plant emergency."

Inoichi walked over and seemed to do a double take after looking at the sapling. "Is that what I think it is?"

His wife smiled and nodded, "Yup, it's a shidarezakura cherry blossom sapling. Not very common around here. We usually have the Somei Yoshino variety."

Inoichi shook his head and pointed, "No, _that_!"

He was pointing straight at the break and Mrs. Yamanaka gasped. "That's impossible!"

I panicked. "What? Is it bad?"

Both of them stared at me and Inoichi questioned, "Were _you_ the one that planted this tree, Kakashi?"

I sighed and relented, "No, but someone precious to me did. From a seed I believe. He has many plants, but this one is special to him."

Inoichi didn't skip a beat, he said, "Bring him here." I blinked, but nodded, rushing home. Naruto was sobbing on the bed, Sasuke comforting him. When I walked in, he kept apologizing, saying that he didn't know and asking of the tree was ok.

I cut him off and said, "Naruto, turn into Kaoru, some friends of mine are helping your plant, but they need your help." He nodded and quickly complied, still hiccuping. I scooped him up into my arms before rushing back to the flower shop. I set him down once we were inside and he rushed to his broken sapling.

His sobbing was renewed as he yelled, "Ah, my cherry blossom!"

Inoichi grabbed his attention. "Um-"

"Kaoru," I supplied.

"Kaoru, we can save your tree, but we need your help." Naruto nodded, unable to say much in his state, looking to Inoichi for instruction. "Put your hands over the break." They had realigned it while I was getting Naruto, and he quickly complied. Then, they told him to pour his chakra into the wound. I was confused, but when a faint dome of light surrounded the break, I could only stare. After about a minute, Naruto stopped, and the break looked better than ever.

Both Naruto and I turned to Inoichi for an explanation, and he said, "That proves it. Kaoru, this tree has absorbed your essence." We were both confused at this, but Inoichi continued, "This is a phenomenon that only occurs a handful of times over the millennium!" He was getting excited now, talking more to himself than to us, but we listened as he went on. "Your strong emotions for this tree have given it life!" Life? He paused then, stating, "Kaoru. This tree is linked to you. If you die, then so does it, do you understand? You must stay happy and healthy for its benefit."

Naruto nodded, but I questioned, "How do you know this? How could you tell that Kaoru's Tree was one of these special plants? Why do you seem to care so much?"

Inoichi looked at me and sighed, calming himself before explaining, "I saw the sign within the stem. The core was red, as if it had blood running through its system. And the fact that it reacted to Kaoru's chakra is further proof. Those plants that are loved and grown by those pure of heart are regarded as sacred. If steadily cared for, they will grow to have many extreme properties, such as warding off hostile demons and other enemies."

My one visible eye widened and I asked, "How?"

He smiled and replied, "Sacred plants create barriers. I've heard that the main barrier extends over the grower's home, whether it be a simple cabin or an entire village. Weapons made from their branches also have mysterious properties."

Naruto abruptly screamed, "No! I refuse to harm it!"

Inoichi chuckled and elaborated, "Don't worry. When the tree has fully matured, it will shed branches every year to renew its energy. The fallen branches will be old, yet ripe with energy. They're the only craftable pieces anyways."

Naruto didn't budge. "I still refuse to accept that. People will try to hurt it for its branches."

Inoichi sighed and stated, "That'll be impossible. The tree will have its own personal barrier that'll keep anyone but you, and anyone you allow, out of its range. Not even things like Kunai will be able to get through."

Naruto held out his pinkie and demanded, "Pinkie promise?"

Inoichi looked to me for help and I just motioned for him to accept. He sighed and interlocked his pinkie with Naruto's stating, "Pinkie Promise. If you pour your chakra into the tree every day, it'll grow strong and mature more quickly." Naruto nodded, but Inoichi asked, "Would you like to work here, Kaoru? We'd be happy to hire someone so dedicated to plants You'd be getting paid of course. You could learn how to better care for your plants while working, and our daughter, Ino needs a companion around her age to motivate her."

Naruto deliberated before nodding and responding, "Sure, but I'll have to work part time. I'm training to become the Hokage someday."

I stepped in at this point and chuckled, "Kaoru here has some big dreams. He's attending the academy to become a _ninja_. He can work on weekends, does that sound alright?" Inoichi nodded, but there was a subdued look of panic on his face. I read the look and said, "Kaoru. I'll bring the sapling home when we're done here, ok? You remember the way home, right?" Naruto nodded and I waved him off. He didn't complain, exiting the store, but Inoichi signaled for me to follow him.

Once we were in his room, He began to talk. "Kakashi. Sacred plants only exist when saints, those pure of heart, pour their love into a seed. If young Kaoru's heart becomes tainted beyond repair, the tree will become demonic, it's only goal to destroy that which it's caretaker feels any contempt towards. What I said about the tree dying if he does? That's a lie. Depending on how he dies, the tree will adapt accordingly."

I was growing fearful now. "What do you mean by adapt?"

Inoichi's brows furrowed as he explained, "If he is murdered, the tree will become evil, its power seeking Kaoru's murderer out for revenge. If he expires from old age, the tree will wither, its power lost forever. That's not what I'm concerned for however. The tree will use its power to further the goal of its caretaker, no matter what it is, and that includes eliminating obstacles."

My eyes widened in realization, "Lord Hokage!"

Inoichi nodded and stated, "Train him well. I'll teach him the dangers as he and the tree grow. You need to make sure he stays on the right path. Make sure he teaches the tree to control its power so it doesn't do anything reckless on its own." I nodded and Mrs. Yamanaka called from downstairs. The sapling was practically glowing from its new pot. I picked it up and Inoichi gave me a stern look before I left. I nodded, being extra careful as I walked home.

(Ugh, it's so bad! Haha, that's what I get for posting a story from high school... Anyways, I wrote this thinking it was original, but then Kishimoto had to put in his own stupid plant, you know, the one that pretty much invented chakra or whatever? Oh well. The chapters will get better when we get into territory that I didn't write like half a decade ago, so stay tuned. Till next time!)


	5. Graduation

(Ahh! Sorry for updating so late, I went to the ER today and really needed to rest. Don't worry, I'm fine, I just hope you like the chapter!)

Naruto glomped me when I got home, grabbing his plant before retreating to his room. I followed and he spun around, thanking me for saving it. I smiled through my mask and he placed it back near the window. Sasuke walked in and Naruto tackled him yelling, "It's ok, Sasuke, my cherry blossom's ok now!"

Sasuke sighed in relief and smiled as he dusted himself off, signifying that he'd been the one to clean up the mess while we were gone. "That's great, Naruto. Again, I'm really sorry for-"

"Don't mention it! Just try to be more careful next time." The raven-haired boy nodded and life went back to normal. Inoichi was right; once Naruto began pouring his chakra into the tree every day, it grew exponentially. The growth was so rapid that we finally had to plant the tree outside two months before Naruto's birthday. Inoichi informed the Hokage of the tree, and word was spread around the village that there would be a special ceremony on the tenth of August. Preparations were made, and the day finally arrived.

The field by the graveyard was the chosen spot, and they erected a sort of sacred fence. It was four posts, spread much further apart than even some of the trees in the forest of death, each connected by a thick shimenawa. Naruto allowed Inoichi to plant the tree in the center of the square barrier, and the Hokage commanded the attention of the crowd.

"Everyone, This tree has been grown by a villager who would like to remain anonymous. Inoichi here has inspected the tree and has found that it is sacred. Once fully grown, it will have the power to shield our village with a barrier that will keep out enemies and demons alike!" Cheers rang throughout the crowd as Hiruzen continued to talk about the tree, stating rules such as not crossing the shimenawa and to refrain from vandalism. That's when the festival began.

Naruto, Sasuke and I smiled as we watched people pray over the tree. We ate festival food and played games, but we ended up just watching people interact near the tree. Now, one thing to note is that the tree, though still young, had already formed a kind of weak barrier. Sasuke and I were immune as the tree knew that we were ok to enter, but Guy unexpectedly came over once. When he tried to enter through the door, his face and body reacted as if he'd tried to walk through a rubber sheet. Of course he used his brute strength to enter, but even though he got through, he felt as if there were water all around him. He was overwhelmed with the feeling of being smothered. It wasn't until Naruto touched the tree, relaying feelings that Guy was ok, that the sensations stopped.

I'm not sure what it was, whether the Shimenawa amplified the powers or if the tree now saw the square as its domain, but a few kids tried to jump over the rope to get a closer look. Their parents were about to scold them, but before everyone's eyes, the barrier became visible, a perfect square the color of a soap bubble, before gently bouncing the children back. They weren't harmed, but everyone nearby fell silent. People began to panic, but I slipped away to inform the Hokage. By the time we returned, hundreds of people were murmuring to each other about what had happened.

Hiruzen amplified his voice and called out, "Do not fear! The tree already has its own barrier to protect itself from harm! Only the one who grew it and those he thinks are worthy are able to enter the barrier!" The murmurs continued for another minute or so, but everything settled down on its own and the festival continued. I took the boys home and put them to bed afterwards.

Naruto continued to nurture the tree privately, but he had to do it at night for a while. After about a month, the publicity died down a bit and Naruto was able to feed the tree his chakra after school as Kaoru while on his way home. As the tree grew, its powers were amplified quite noticeably. The barrier became like a steel wall rather than an elastic sheet, and miracles sprung up out of nowhere. People's luck improved, and the crime rate even went down. All things were attributed to the tree. Naruto learned as much as he could while working with Inoichi, and the tree prospered because of it.

Five years zipped by like a snap, and the tree was fully grown. It was massive, easily towering over the village. Just like The Hokage faces, you could see the tree from anywhere in Konoha. In April of the fifth year, the tree shed its first set of branches. It bloomed beautifully, its petals blanketing the village. This signified that the tree was at full maturity, and that it could now effectively protect the village. The festival had previously been held on August tenth, the day the tree was officially planted where it stands today, but the festival was moved to April fourth, the first day it shed its branches, and one of the days it would no doubt be in bloom for every year to come.

Inoichi, who had Naruto's blessing to enter the barrier, entered to gather the tree's first branches. We went to his shop to collect them. Unless Naruto willed it, he would be the only one able to draw out the power from the branches. Inoichi pulled out an old book from somewhere in the house then. He admitted to us that his family had served under a monk that also had a sacred tree several generations ago. They had experimented with the branches over the years, finding out the properties attributed to different shapes. The tree finally perished when it refused to accept one of its new caretakers, and it withered.

The pages were old, the writing faded, but it was legible. Inoichi wouldn't let Naruto take the book home, but he let him put bookmarks in the pages he liked. Naruto wanted to try to carve the weapons himself, but we convinced him to let the Tens, the best weapon crafters in Konoha, carve a few items. Naruto gave the Tens permission to work with the branches and they got to work.

One particular artifact was the on the top of my priority list. It was called the barrier bead, and it worked like the tree itself, preventing anyone but whoever the bearer allowed within a meter of his or her being. It didn't protect against weapons, but it would protect him on missions from taijutsu assailants, and anyone attempting to catch him off guard. One particular weapon would take Naruto years to master, but he thought it was amazing. It was a hilt, no blade attached. The idea was that it would concentrate and mold his chakra into a blade. I would be teaching him sword techniques after school from now on, at his request, but once he knew his nature, the blade would reflect this as well.

Because it was only the tree's first shedding, most of the branches were long and spindly. We got maybe two shuriken, three kunai, and several senbon, but that was it. Projectile weapons, I must admit, actually scared me a bit. No matter what, they hit their target. Thrown in the wrong direction? No problem. Target moving faster than how hard it was thrown? It'll chase you to the ends of the earth. And nobody would be able to take these weapons and use them without Naruto's permission.

To my relief, Naruto didn't want to use the weapons until he was a registered ninja. He said that the kunai and shuriken were cheating, and that he would train with Sasuke to become better on his own. I was proud of the ninja he was becoming, but with his reserves, there were just some Jutsu that he couldn't get. One, to my dismay was the basic clone technique. I knew that that was a common graduation technique, so I taught him the shadow clone instead, something his father had taught me. He learned it quickly and showed Sasuke, who wasn't even jealous.

Both boys acted like brothers. They accepted that each one could do things that the other could not. For Naruto, it was using the sacred weapons and the shadow clone jutsu, for Sasuke, it was his affinity for fire techniques. I asked Naruto if he wanted to find out his chakra nature, but again, he told me he wanted to wait until after he finished the academy. He wanted to get the basics down to be sure he could pass. I personally requested that they be put on a team together. Sarutobi agreed, stating that he would like to appoint me as their Jounin sensei.

I actually had no problems with this. It would mean that I could personally train my two… Sons I guess. Legally speaking, I mean. I'd been living with them for over half a decade, and it was hard not to get attached. I wouldn't use that word around them, and I wasn't sure how they felt about me, but I would do my best to keep them safe and happy.

Finally, the day for the graduation exam was upon us. I fervently hoped that they would accept Naruto's shadow clones, and I made sure to watch as Iruka and Mizuki judged. Mizuki tried to say that it wasn't the technique called for, but Iruka was truly impressed and passed Naruto. I was so proud. Sasuke, of course, passed with flying colors and I just had to wait for the teams to be announced. Naruto and Sasuke were both placed on my team, and we got a pink-haired girl named Sakura Haruno as our third squad member. She didn't look like much, but I hoped she would be able to keep up with my boys.

(Again, sorry for not updating earlier, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Till next time; Beige, out.)


	6. Teamwork

(Relatively short chapter today, but that's because the next chapter needs a trigger warning. Now, I have nothing against Sakura, but at the time I was writing this, it was a common thing to Sakura bash. That and I was writing this story as a means of stress relief and needed a scapegoat for my feelings. Hope you enjoy.)

I was actually on time to pick up the boys and Sakura the next day, as the boys pestered me to come with them to the academy. One of the downsides to living with your teammates, they know your habits and can actually force you to break them. I suppose it was time to move on. Being late was just me trying to emulate the person who saved me way back when. Though I would always be grateful, time moves on.

It was apparent almost immediately that this girl was one of Sasuke's many fans, but it was also quite obvious that Naruto had an infatuation with her. At first, I feared there would be brotherly quarrels over her, but then I saw how they all acted around one another. Sasuke paid her no attention, and even tried to get her to focus on Naruto, but she would only fawn over the raven. After introductions were complete, though quite unnecessary, I informed them of the test. I told them not to eat and that it would be harsh, ensuring that they had to be there on time, but I realized that my tactics were only working on Sakura.

I still made sure that Naruto and Sasuke were up bright and early, that they left without breakfast, and that I had some 'errands' to run before getting to the training grounds. I made sure to only pack one bell this time. I'd never explained the bell test to the boys, and if there were only two bells, they might just leave Sakura behind to get the bells for themselves. I'd like to give them a chance to pass now. Thinking about it though, there was the possibility of Naruto advocating for the three of them to get the bells, but Sasuke was stubborn and might break off to get his own bell. The two had a close bond, but their personalities were so different sometimes.

Of course I was two hours late, but when I arrived, my eye twitched at what I saw. Both Naruto and Sasuke were sitting cross-legged on the bridge, chatting while snacking on onigiri. Sakura, on the other hand, looked worse for wear. She was nervous, hungry, and stressed; everything I wanted the _three_ of them to be. I sighed before explaining the test to them. I tried to keep in mind the fact that only one of them would be able to pass, and when I began the test. All three scattered. Naruto and Sasuke were almost good enough to effectively hide from me, but Sakura needed more work. Still, I shouldn't be so harsh when I'd been the one to train the boys so well in the first place.

Naruto and Sasuke met up immediately before retreating to a distance they knew I wouldn't be able to see, hear, or smell them from. After a little while, I sensed Naruto, more likely one of his shadow clones, find Sakura. I could barely hear Naruto's side of the conversation, but Sakura didn't know how to stay quiet. Finally, after a bit of arguing, she followed the clone to where Sasuke and the real Naruto were no doubt plotting. I sighed mentally. I should've known that those two would see underneath the underneath this quickly. Maa, I'll see how well they can work with pinkie and grade them on their skills.

I was tempted to pull out Icha Icha, but with how I trained the boys, I might need to keep my senses alert. Finally, something signaled the beginning of their attack. The sound of a kunai whizzing through the treeline, heading straight for my face. I dodged easily of course. Then, an army of Sasuke's ran through the treeline. One was bound to be the real one, but I'd give them a handicap. I wouldn't use my sharingan to find it. Each blow was just enough to dispel a clone, but I was confused when all of the Sasukes poofed into thin air. It was too late before I realized they were the decoy.

I patted my belt to feel for the bell, but it was gone. Oh those sneaky brats. Sasuke couldn't use genjutsu yet, and Naruto most definitely lacked that ability, so was it Sakura? I'd read in her file that she was top in her class academically. It was possible that she used it. Clever. I couldn't sense it without my sharingan, and I wasn't expecting it from the boys. Well played.

"You've got the bell, now what?"

Sasuke, who was holding it, tossed it at me stating, "Keep it. None of us would survive out there without a full team. We'll try again next year."

Ahh, they grow up so fast. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck stating, "Well, the thing about your plan is…" They began to sweat then, calculating the possibilities of their plan being flawed before I finished with the clincher, "You guys passed." All three cheered loudly and began celebrating. Perhaps being a Jounin sensei wouldn't be so bad after all.

(Man, the first draft of this chapter was so harsh on the pink ninja. I'm glad I changed it, considering what the next chapter holds for her... Sorry Sakura! Till next time; Beige out.)


	7. Despair

(Trigger Warning: This chapter contains dark themes including attempted suicide. I was depressed when I wrote this so many years ago, but it was a central part of the story. I literally made this story for this scene in particular and had ended it soon afterwards, but I later decided to make it into a longer story, so this is literally as bad as it gets for this story. You are not obligated to read this chapter and I will probably make a quick summary before the next chapter if you choose not to. It's not really as bad as a lot of stuff out there, but I'm not taking any chances.)

(P.S. Disclaimer for the terrible writing and plot also, this chapter is particularly bad and wasn't expected to see the light of day outside of my personal notebook. You have been warned. Constructive criticism is welcome, but I already know it's bad, so you don't need to tell me twice. Anyways, read on if you wish.)

After our first few missions, it was just about time for the Cherry Blossom's festival. New branches were shed, better than the previous year's, and the tree was absolutely stunning. I had a feeling that Naruto had something to do with its brilliance this year, but he was nowhere to be found during the festivities. Sasuke had me help him look for the loud boy, and I summon my canine squad to help us when it started getting dark. What I found made my heart drop.

Naruto was lying in an alley, covered in blood and bruises. As I ran over to him, two things seemed wrong here. Why wasn't Naruto Kaoru, and why hadn't the barrier bead protected him from this obviously hand-afflicted beating? I cradled him in my arms, running for the hospital, but he was trying to tell me something. I placed his lips near my ear, and what he said would haunt me for years to come.

"Put me back, I don't want to live anymore." He passed out right afterwards, but I couldn't believe that he had said that. My bubbly Naruto? The embodiment cheerfulness with so much to live for? I cursed and took the barrier bead from his jacket pocket to allow the doctors to see him, but then I heard the screams. Though I wanted to look back at whatever was going on, Naruto was my priority right now. Not him. I wouldn't let anything happen to him. Yet… I already had… Inoichi intercepted me before I reached the hospital, following one of my canines.

"Kakashi! What happened?"

I looked down at the bundle in my arms and replied, "I don't know." That's when he turned me around to face what I'd been ignoring. I could only stare in mute horror. The slight white aura that usually surrounded the tree was gone, a toxic-looking purple haze taking its place, and the blossoms were gradually turning darker, some almost blood red.

"The tree is becoming demonic! What happened to Kaoru?"

I clutched Naruto closer to my chest and let silent tears fall. That stopped Inoichi in his tracks. Kakashi? Crying? It was almost unheard of. I kept my voice as steady as I could before replying, "Kaoru… Naruto… We found him in an alley, bleeding, and he told me that he wanted to die. Inoichi, what do you say to something like that?"

Inoichi's posture changed, but he walked over and began using what little medical jutsu he knew to heal Naruto stating, "I don't know, Kakashi. So, Naruto's Kaoru, huh? Sure had me fooled. He's a great kid."

I took a staggering breath and nodded. "He's been like a son to me for the last seven years. Where did I go wrong?"

Inoichi shook his head asserting, "You did nothing wrong. We can talk about this later, but we need to start moving towards the tree now. This is still reversible as long as Naruto can pour his intent for the tree to stop before the blossoms all turn black." I nodded and started running. Naruto came to as we were approaching the shimenawa.

He frowned when he saw my face and demanded, "Why didn't you leave me?"

Inoichi began, "The Cherry Blossom Tree-"

"Can die with me..."

We both paused before Inoichi admitted, "Naruto, I lied. The tree doesn't die if you do, it becomes a demon." Naruto's eyes widened as he finally looked up to see what was happening. Nearly a third of the blossoms were deep crimson, going on a ruddy brown. Inoichi murmured, "There's no time to explain, when we get up to the shimenawa, run to the tree and tell it to stop, do you hear me?" Naruto nodded dumbly in response, but I had faith that he would be able to do this.

Once we reached the barrier, only Naruto could pass. He stumbled in his weakened state, but he never stopped. Even when people began screaming about "the demon child," he never faltered. Finally, he reached the trunk and pushed in his raw emotions. People screamed and ran, truly believing that the fox had taken control of their tree, but as the white bubble cascaded over the village, instead of malice and hate, there was only peace and tranquility. It was the tree's peace at knowing that Naruto was alright, I was sure.

Naruto was murmuring apologies to the tree, but it only takes one villager to stir up the rest, and right then truly wasn't the ideal moment. Yes, the tree's aura was back to normal, but it was Naruto's comforting words that were reversing the transformations in the leaves. It only took one comment about the demon to stir up the crowd that quickly escalated to throwing things at the barrier. The tree's aura flashed with rage, and Inoichi and I tried to get them to stop, but it was Sarutobi who halted the mayhem.

"SILENCE! Naruto is the one who planted the sacred tree! He was the villager so pure of heart that his love gave the tree a life of its own!" Angry denial ran through the crowd, but Hiruzen didn't back down. "I won't hide it any longer! Naruto Uzumaki is the son of Minato Namikaze! That is why he was chosen as the vessel for the nine tailed fox! He is not the demon, no container ever was, and yet you all treated him as if he were scum! Minato's final wish was for his son to be regarded as a hero, and I've failed him. You can see the purity of Naruto's heart in this tree. He gave you all this gift, and you repaid him with violence! Your hate holds no grounds!"

The crowd fell silent, but it was the quiet broken sobs coming from the tree that gained everyone's attention. Naruto was on his knees, crying. Without warning, he kotowed, yelling, "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! It _was_ all my fault! I got sad for a stupid reason and put you all in danger. I didn't know it would… I'm so sorry!"

The tree wasn't allowing anyone but Naruto inside the barrier. It was angry and skeptical of anyone who came near, so I had to yell back at him. "Naruto! You're my son! I could never hate you! No matter what happened, it's not your fault!" I didn't care that people were staring. I didn't care that they now knew I'd adopted Naruto. Nothing mattered more than Naruto's safety, the rest of the world be damned. He slowly looked up at me and nodded, placing his hands back on the tree to reverse the demonification.

The crowd began to grow loud as people spoke about what had just happened. Hiruzen was now next to Inoichi and mysef, questioning, "Do either of you know what in the world just happened?"

It was a winded Sasuke who answered. "I saw the whole thing!" The three of us turned to him as he caught his breath before speaking. "I followed Naruto when I noticed him trying to slip away from us in the crowd. He had told Sakura to meet him by Ichiraku, and he brought her to the back of the Shimenawa where hardly anyone goes. He said that he planted the tree seven years ago, and apologized for it taking so long to bloom this beautifully, but she didn't believe him. She said that one: his joke wasn't funny, two: there was no way he planted the tree, and three: that she only had eyes for me. When he tried to prove that he planted it, she called him the biggest loser on the planet and slapped him hard enough for me to hear it from the nearby treetops. Naruto ran before I could find him, and that's when I left to find Kakashi in the crowd so we could look for him."

Sarutobi nodded at this information, thanking Sasuke for his time, but as we weren't in the most private of places, word spread like wildfire. Once Naruto was done healing the tree, he told the tree to let me through and I brought him home with me. He slept for several days, but I knew he was safe after I put the barrier bead back on his person. Our apartment was bombarded with visitors after that. Many with questions or the desire to apologize, but I turned them all away. Gifts were sent to our home, and I only brought them inside to keep them from blocking the doorway. I requested that Sakura be removed from our team and Sarutobi personally saw to it that it was done.

She became the new pariah of the village. I'd like to say this made me a bit happy, but truly, I was empty inside. The entire ordeal had left scars within me. I couldn't protect him, and I'd promised to keep him safe. I'd sworn to myself that I wouldn't let anything this bad happen to him. But it had, and I'd been powerless to stop it. Sasuke was doing the work for the both of us, dealing with many of the visitors and making enough food for us to share. It was sad really. Finally, he surprised me by going out one day and returning with the Hyuga heiress.

She was muttering protests as he pushed her inside, but he refuted them all. "I know you looked up to him before all this, and he really needs that right now. He woke up yesterday and refuses to talk to me since I blabbed about what happened." Naruto had woken up? I suppose that was a possibility since I tried not to go in there often. "Besides, it actually looks good for your family now if you two become friends."

She was blushing profusely at this, and I raised a brow, actually interested in something for the first time since everything happened. "What's all this about, Sasuke?"

Sasuke placed his hands on his hips and stated, "This here is the only example of a person who admired Naruto before all this happened. Before you adopted him, and before I joined the family, she watched Naruto like a stalker, blushing like a tomato every time he said anything to her. She never fawned over me, and she always made sure that her bodyguards never caught her spying on him."

I hummed and walked over, cupping her chin before asking, "Do you truly respect my Naruto?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat before steeling her gaze and asserting, "I-I do, sir…"

I smiled with my one visible eye and happily said, "Alright then, he's just beyond that door." I pointed, and she hesitated for a moment, but corralled her composure and walked up to the doorway on her own, firmly grasping the handle. I hoped that she could be one who could help fix this mess...

(Ahh, lots of editing had to be done to make this less stupid... High school me was so angsty! Ugh! Anyways, I hope you didn't hate it and I will have the next chapter up as soon as possible so those of you who maybe chose not to read it get the summary. I wouldn't leave you guys here anyways, it's just so dumb... Maa, whatever, till next time; Beige out.)


	8. Passion

(Ok, so quick summary of the last chapter: Naruto told Sakura he planted the tree for her, she didn't believe him [skimping out on the details a bit] and Naruto was devastated. Ended up not wanting to live anymore and the tree started going crazy, turning into a demon. Naruto stopped it and Hiruzen finally revealed Naruto's lineage and stuff. Long story short, the village doesn't hate Naruto anymore, but they're mad that Sakura nearly got them all killed. Anyways, Naruto's still a little dead inside and Kakashi is slightly scarred from almost losing his son. Hopefully I encompassed it well enough. Hope you enjoy this chapter, Tazuna's in it :3)

It took over a month, but with help from Sasuke, Naruto finally allowed Hinata to enter his room and personal space. Once he did, he found that the girl was easy to get along with. He would've doubted that she'd really been stalking him for so long if Sasuke hadn't said it himself. The only reason Sasuke had tried to propagate affection between Naruto and Sakura was because it was what Naruto wanted, and he'd thought that Sakura would somehow grow to overcome her childish crush on himself. Though she had most definitely grown in the past month, it was only due to the stern looks she got. It wasn't as bad as when Naruto was the scorn of the village, and many who still held contempt for Naruto even supported her, but she was at the very least sorry for her actions.

She wasn't dropped from the ninja program as many suggested she be. Despite her shortcomings, she was still a bright girl, but she was dismissed from team seven. Now that Naruto was as popular as he was, once he and Hinata were at the friendship level, Hiashi and I had some strings pulled to transfer the two girls to each other's teams. Hiashi was using Hinata as a pawn to get to Naruto, but that was ok with me as long as Naruto was happier in the long run.

As a fully functioning ninja squad, team seven had to continue going on missions after two months of leave. Those months were lenient, a gift from Hiruzen, but Naruto still wasn't fully recovered mentally when we returned to active duty. As such, Hiruzen decided to award us a simple C-rank mission. An escort mission to the land of waves. This would ensure that the now reclusive Naruto wouldn't have to be around people who recognized him in the village. He would be able to stretch his legs out in the field. With the training that he and Sasuke had undergone while living with me, and the training young Hinata had undergone with Kurenai and in the Hyuuga estate, they were ready for a simple escort mission. If anything went wrong, I was still there to save the day. As such, Hiruzen called in our client.

Tazuna was an older gentleman, if you could call him that. His attire and hygiene were unkempt, and he reeked of booze, obviously drunk even this early in the morning, if the red tint on his cheeks was anything to go by. After a quiet hiccup and a glance at the three children before him, he complained that he'd requested ninjas. Naruto was quiet, even as his height was mentioned, but I assured the man that I, a Jounin, would be there if anything happened. After a quick dismissal to allow each member of team seven to prepare, I insisted that Naruto bring a few of his special artifacts along. As this was a mission outside Konoha's borders, anything was likely to happen.

He obliged by packing a few of the kunai and shuriken carved from the Cherry blossom's bark, but the tree itself was still in the same process of healing as Naruto was. It did not like that its master was upset. Miracles had dropped in rate since the incident, but Naruto still made sure to go and see the tree whenever he felt up to it. One thing he had to do before we left was tell the tree that he would be gone. Inoichi stressed to me the consequences if Naruto didn't return, but it was only an escort mission.

Naruto was quick to get ready, but he wasn't as peppy as he could have been. The event had left deep scars. He remembered the times before I'd had adopted him, and he didn't see the villager's adoration as genuine. Only now that he was useful did they treat him better. It had taken him a while to tell me this, but I could sense most of what he was feeling. He had tried so hard before, and just because of a tree he'd planted for someone who'd rejected him was he getting everything he'd previously wanted. It all seemed fake, even to me. It was the definition of irony, for something he cared for to now be a symbol of one of his darkest memories.

Of course with the addition of Hinata to our group, we had to do a teamwork exercise and some training, but I could tell that Naruto was out of it for most of the time. He functioned well enough on mostly reflexes. It hurt seeing him like this. I was expecting this kind of reaction for something like his first kill, but if this was how he reacted over rejection, how would he be able to function as a ninja out in the real world? His dream of becoming Hokage would fall short if he couldn't learn to deal with conflicts such as this. I supposed he was just too pure, a trait that's a hindrance in the world of ninja. Already, Inoichi could see that the tree was not as it used to be, that Naruto's purity had been tainted, but not enough to put the tree in any danger. It was supposedly natural, and until Naruto could resolve his inner conflict, the tree would remain weakened. Its strength was Naruto's will, and that will had been cracked.

Enough of my rambling. Naruto said his goodbyes to the tree and we set off on schedule. I saw the puddle several meters away, and could smell the enemy even before they'd come into view. Sasuke was the first to spot it after myself, sensing the chakra from within. He gave everyone subtle hand signals as we walked, everyone still chattering as if everything were normal. Tazuna didn't expect a thing until after the mist Chunin sprung their attack. Naruto stood by Tazuna as protection, as his barrier bead would ward off physical attacks. With a bit of chakra, his bubble would be able to protect himself and Tazuna, maybe even Hinata if he focused hard enough, but Hinata was assisting Sasuke in subduing the assailants.

As they were merely Chunin, Sasuke alone could have taken them out, but with help, the two stood no chance. I praised the group for their efforts and began interrogating both the two Chunin and Tazuna. This mission was higher in rank if trained ninja were after the bridge builder. I contemplated the pros and cons, then, after factoring input from the team, decided that we would continue the mission. It was Naruto's reply that really did it for me. He had a spark in his eyes again, if only just, and he said that he wanted to prove to himself and to everyone that he was important, with or without the tree. The tree did not have to be his validation, he wanted to validate himself. It was probably foolish of me not to call in backup, but with Naruto's dedication back, I couldn't bring up the heart to ask for assistance.

We continued with more caution from then on, and only when Naruto's reflexes caused him to strike did we get ready. It was revealed that he'd seemingly shot at a snow rabbit with his kunai, but only after I realized that it was the wrong color did I sense imminent danger. Everyone ducked at my word, though I had to knock the bridge builder down with me, and I realized just how dangerous this mission was going to be.

"Zabuza Momochi, the demon of the mist."

"Ah, I see my reputation precedes me, as does yours. Kakashi Hatake, the copycat ninja."

I glared as I pulled up my headband, revealing my sharingan. For this battle, I would need it.

(Not the longest chapter, but you guys deserved better after that last chapter. I think I'll do a triple update though, it's just as cruel leaving you guys on a cliffy like this. Just give me time to get it up, Beige out.)


	9. Confidence

(Ok, so I think this is an ok place to leave off at. I hope you enjoy the chapter. I know that the arc is pretty overdone with how many Naruto fics start right before it, but I like it, you know? It was fun to write.)

I was quick to signal my team to surround Tazuna, and no sooner had I given the order did a thick, chakra-infused mist fill the air. It obscured my sense of smell, weakening my tracking abilities, and if his profile in the bingo book was anything to go by, he would be hard to hear as well. The chakra in the fog was dulling my ability to see him in the mist, but I could feel rather than see that he'd made a few solid clones, probably water clones, to toy with us.

"Cute brats you got there, Kakashi. Babysitting?"

I gripped my kunai tighter, replying, "They're my team. Don't underestimate them just because they're children."

"Oh, we shall see." He began to release his killer intent then, and I cursed myself for not doing the same during training. I thought I'd have more time to work with them before exposing them to something like this. They all buckled a bit, but held their ground, guarding Tazuna with their lives. Hinata, unsurprisingly, was the one affected the most, audibly swallowing every now and then. Sasuke was also taking it hard, but Naruto was better off, used to similar feelings of contempt from everyday life. Though there was no guarantee, I had to give them confidence.

"You guys, I won't let you die here. Focus on taking care of Tazuna, I'll deal with Zabuza."

Releasing my own killer intent warded off some of Zabuza's, but only just. "Bold words, Kakashi. Are you sure you can keep your word on this? You've already got one weakness. You have to worry about our more large scale attacks getting to these children. Oh how the leaf has fallen, allowing these soft kids pass the academy."

"Just because the mist had a battle-oriented academy doesn't mean that the leaf has to."

Zabuza chuckled, replying, "Ah, well I'd already made many kills before I was their age. To each his own, just don't complain when the leaf buckles the greater powers who are willing to use more bloody tactics." I glared, but then I realized that the conversation was a distraction. Already, Zabuza was approaching the small group. To my great relief, I heard a noise of frustration before I felt the man's presence slink back into the darkness. "What is it that is preventing me from killing the old man, is it genjutsu?"

"If I told you that, it'd give you a chance to counter attack. I'm your opponent now." Zabuza grunted, but otherwise agreed and we began to clash. My moves mirrored his, and then the large scale attacks began. I wasn't as worried as he thought I might have been, my team could easily jump to the treetops with our client to avoid damage, so I focused solely on my battle.

With my sharingan, I knew I was wearing down his concentration. My movements were too seamless to be just copies, and I even finished a move before he could. Finally, he outwitted me, causing me to reflexively dodge an attack only to end up standing in the water we'd created before. I knew I was done for when he'd trapped me in the water prison jutsu.

"Everyone! Retreat, take Tazuna back to the leaf and get backup!"

It was Naruto who refused. "Are you kidding me? We're not leaving you here!"

"Naruto, Zabuza is a Jounin, you guys stand no chance against him! Now follow my orders!"

Sasuke scoffed, stepping forward to stand beside Naruto. "No can do, Kakashi. You raised us to believe that comrades come before orders." Though Hinata stayed silent, I could see her nod faintly in the background, guarding Tazuna. Before I could argue further, Naruto released three of his special shuriken. Zabuza laughed at this.

"Wooden shuriken? What're those gonna do, give me a splinter?" He laughed up until the point where despite moving his head to dodge, the shuriken shifted its movements. Realizing at just the right moment he released the jutsu holding me and dodged backwards. "What is this? How are they following me? Genjutsu?" He tried to break the 'genjutsu,' but the shuriken still followed him. Blocking with his sword only changed their direction, and they looped around to follow, but they sunk into a log the moment he used substitution. Still, they had served their purpose.

Curiously, Zabuza pulled the shuriken from the log, inspecting them. "So these shuriken follow the target, eh? Let's try them on you!" He quickly dropped the weapons as they burned him, sensing his intent to use them without Naruto's permission. "What is going on? None of this is making any sense! How did those shuriken follow me? How were you able to copy a jutsu I hadn't even performed yet? How…"

He was cut short as I appeared behind him, aiming to kill. Glaring, we continued the battle. When I was almost sure I would win, A senbon flew out of nowhere, piercing Zabuza's neck. He fell like a puppet who's strings had been cut. I'd been so focused on Zabuza that I hadn't even sensed the ninja hiding in the treeline. He was young, maybe a year or two older than Sasuke and Naruto, but I could feel that he was strong and able.

"Thank you for weakening Zabuza for me, I'd been tracking him for months."

"A hunter nin, huh?"

"Hunter nin?"

I smiled at my blond son, explaining the concept, when out of nowhere, darkness overtook me, but not before I watched the young boy lug Zabuza's large frame away. Alarm bells rang, but there was nothing I could do, at least, not at the moment. I woke up in a small, sparsely decorated room, a glass of water and a note beside me.

"Kakashi, if you're awake, then we're downstairs. There are some crutches for you if you need them."

I smiled. It may not have said much, but I knew they were worried. No need to worry them further, so I donned the crutches and made my way downstairs. Everyone was at breakfast, and upon my approach, Naruto got up and ran, tackling me with a hug. Tears were in the corners of his eyes when I looked down at his face, but I only smiled behind my mask and patted his head.

"Maa, why the long face? I'm fine. What's for breakfast, Tazuna?"

A young woman smiled at me from in front of the stove, stating, "Just a simple soup with rice. Sorry there isn't more, our country is very poor. My name is Tsunami."

"Good to meet you, I'm Kakashi. No need to apologize, simple soup is better than ration bars." I sat down at the table carefully and let my team debrief me. They'd had no problems getting here after I'd passed out, and I'd been out for about a day and a half. Only when they were done did I tell them.

"Zabuza is most likely still alive."

"W-what? B-but you checked him yourself!"

"That I did, Hinata, but think of the weapon he used."

"True… Like my gentle fist, one would have to be precise to get a kill using such a small area to work with."

"And how he treated the body. Hunter nins usually dispose of the body immediately, taking only the head as proof of termination, but he went to the trouble of picking Zabuza up and retreating, despite the inconvenience."

"An ally then."

"Exactly my thoughts, Sasuke."

Naruto frowned then, questioning, "Now what? You're in no condition to fight and we aren't strong enough to take on a Jounin yet."

I nodded at his reasoning, but refuted, "Being put in a near death state takes it's toll on the body, just as the sharingan does if overused. We'll probably be incapacitated for the same amount of time, meaning he'll be back in about a week."

It was then that a small child walked through the door, returning his plates signifying that he'd eaten elsewhere. He glared at us before simply stating, "You're all going to die, you know."

"Inari!"

"But, Mom, it's true. Gato's going to kill them."

Hinata seemed concerned, but Sasuke and Naruto kept eating in silence. I decided to break the ice. "I mean no disrespect, but we are ninjas. Have a little faith."

The boy scoffed. "As if. Gato has hundreds of hired mercenaries, and he has ninja too. You guys stand no chance." He left before anything more could be said.

"Um, sorry for intruding, but is he alright?"

Tsunami sighed but replied, "He'll be fine, but Gato left a deep scar in his heart."

"D-does it have anything to do with the person missing in that picture?" Hinata timidly asked.

Tsunami smiled, reminiscent this time, probably reliving a happier moment as she responded, "Yes actually. He wasn't Inari's real father, but he might as well have been. He came to the land of waves unexpectedly, but he changed all of our lives here in town. He was Inari's role model, but when Gato showed up, he was made an example for the rest of us. Get in his way, and you wouldn't live to tell the tale. Inari was heartbroken. Of course, we were all sad, but he took it the hardest."

"Oh. S-sorry for asking."

"No, that was a while ago. That's why we have to finish the bridge. It'll bring outside businesses back into our lands, canceling the monopoly Gato and other smaller organizations have over us. That bridge will save our lives."

"And that is precisely why we are here. No need to worry, I'll handle Zabuza, and my team will be able to take out the mercenaries. I'm confident in that." Tsunami smiled at my words and breakfast was ended shortly afterwards. I decided that now was the time to train my team. Nothing ragged, just something to refine the skills they already had. The boys already knew tree walking, as did Hinata, but next would be water walking. In the land of waves, water wouldn't be hard to find.

I hobbled over to a small pond near Tazuna's home and told them the basics. After showing them a demonstration, both Naruto and Sasuke fell in the water. Hinata was shy, but stated her mind when I looked at her questioningly.

"Um, I already know this. I-it's a common technique taught in the Hyuuga compound to teach chakra control."

I nodded and said, "That's good. Hinata, you'll be stationed at the bridge with Tazuna while he works. I'm sure nothing will come until I'm fully healed. Naruto, Sasuke, you two continue to work on this. Don't overexert yourselves, I don't want you drowning on me." All three nodded and I waved once before turning around and heading back to Tazuna's home.

I would have made shadow clones to spy on the boys, but as I was incapacitated by overusing my chakra and sharingan, I was forced to just stay in my room and recover. A man could only read Icha Icha so many times. Occasionally I could sense Inari spying on me from outside my door, but the rest of the time I could hear him sobbing in his room. I was impressed when at the end of day five both Naruto and Sasuke stumbled through the door, using each other as support, smirking at me.

"We both got it, we can walk on water."

I smiled and congratulated, "Good job. Hinata, would you mind allowing Sasuke and Naruto to rest tomorrow? Then we can all go to the bridge together."

"N-no, I don't mind. Though, the workers don't seem confident that I'm their only protection..."

"It doesn't matter what they think. You're a skilled kunoichi. Never forget that."

"Y-yes, Kakashi-sensei!"

"She can't even hold her fear back. There's no way you guys are gonna survive out there. Just give up and go home."

"Inari!"

Naruto, Who'd held his tongue at the young boy, finally commented, stating, "You must really love Gato, huh?"

"W-what? What did you say to me?"

"You hard of hearing too? I asked if you loved Gato. The man who destroyed your community, the man who destroyed your family. Do you love him?"

"Of course not, I only…"

"You only defend him with every breath I've ever heard from you. Do you want him to win? To kill your grandfather like he did your father? Murder your mother?"

"He wasn't my…"

"Oh yes he was. Real or not, that man was your father."

"Y-You don't know anything! You probably never had to deal with this kinda stuff!" Inari slammed the door, running to his room, but before anyone could reprimand Naruto, he announced that he needed to let off steam and left. I sighed, but let him go.

"I'm sorry, Tsunami."

"No, Inari needed that. Neither I nor Father have the heart to confront the things that are troubling him, so it's as much our fault as anything." I nodded and went to find the small boy. Of course, he was crying in his room over the framed missing piece of the picture. I knocked before letting myself in.

"Go away."

"Do you know why Naruto was so harsh on you?"

"What's it matter to you?"

"Well, I'm his father."

"So you're his dad, huh? You sure raised him well."

"He wasn't always my son. I took him in when he was five, but he'd had a hard life before that."

Inari sniffled and wiped a few tears asking, "Really? How so?"

I sat down, making myself comfortable before replying, "He didn't have any parents, and none of the orphanages would take him in, so once he was able to care for himself, he lived alone in an old apartment. Everyone knew him, and everyone hated him to an extent, myself included."

"What? Why?"

"The circumstances of his birth were complicated. He can't control what happened, but everyone still blamed him for it. It was kept a secret from everyone his age and younger in the hopes that they would befriend him, but their parents forbade them from interacting with him. He was all alone until I took him in. I learned how he really was, his true personality, and I made sure that I was there to protect him. He was happy for a while."

"Just for a while?"

"Yeah. There were a few things that happened that put a damper on his spirit. One was both a curse and a blessing. The introduction of Sasuke as Naruto's brother."

"You mean the dark haired boy?"

"Precisely. He used to have a huge family. He had many precious people that loved him from the bottoms of their hearts."

"W-what happened to them?"

"They were all killed. In one single night, everyone he knew was dead." Inari was silent for a while, so I continued, "Now, there is something that Naruto gave to our village that everyone knew about. They however, didn't know that it was Naruto who had provided them with the gift."

"What was the gift?"

"A very special tree. You'll know it if you ever visit Konoha. Anyways, recently, it was revealed that Naruto planted the tree. Beforehand, someone he cared for deeply had wrenched a hole in his heart."

"What did they do?"

"You see, Naruto had planted the tree for them, nurturing it since even before I adopted him. He was growing it for her, and when he told her, she didn't believe him. She said many nasty things, and even assaulted him. He was devastated. The last time he'd received such horrible treatment was before I'd adopted him, and I still regret not being there for him."

"What about that other girl? Hinada?"

"Hinata. Well, she replaced the girl who I just told you about. You see, Hinata had always wanted to be Naruto's friend, but she couldn't because her father forbade it. When it was found out that Naruto had planted the tree though, her father told her to become his friend, to be closer to him."

"What's so special about that tree? Why would people who hated him start liking him for something so dumb?"

"Ah. You see, the tree is sacred. You'd have to see it to believe. It has special properties, not unlike chakra. The tree isn't merely alive, it's sentient. Only Naruto can talk to it, and because the village is his home, the tree protects it."

"What? That's impossible."

"Believe what you want, but it's true. Maybe when this is all over, you can come to Konoha and see it for yourself."

Inari went quiet again, but finally nodded and said, "Ok. If you guys come back alive, then I'll visit you some time."

I smiled and patted his head, much to his discomfort, but I knew things would be better now. Until the day after tomorrow.

(Yay. Finally, we;re getting into territory after the stuff I wrote back in hgh school. I don't actually dislike this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. Till next time; Beige out.)


	10. Bitter Sweet

(Sorry for getting this up so late, but be warned that I might not be able to keep up with the daily updates in the future. I hope you enjoy the chapter!)

Naruto didn't come back that night, but I waited till after breakfast before sending out Sasuke to look for him. Sasuke was quick to oblige. He'd been chomping at the bit to go after his adoptive brother, but a stern look from me before I'd gone to talk to Inari the night prior told him to wait. Both returned a bit disgruntled, muttering about some boy they thought was a woman, but I chalked it up as something I would never understand as I had no intention of asking. Hinata had left at the same time Sasuke did, but her pace matched Tazuna's as they traveled to the bridge. Once Naruto was all cleaned up from his night in the woods, the three of us just rested, playing card games if things got too dull.

We decided that night that we would start guard shifts, in case there were any attacks. I was mostly healed, so Zabuza should have been too. Naruto had the second to last shift, so I decided to leave him at the house just in case. He would need his rest and could provide assistance if Zabuza went for Tazuna's family instead. If anything, he could also provide backup for us when the enemy was least expecting it.

By the time we arrived, all of Tazuna's workers were already out cold. I could feel the chakra in the mist, so I knew we weren't alone. Hinata and Sasuke both quickly surrounded Tazuna, but Zabuza also had backup. Zabuza ordered his companion to face off against Sasuke. The boy was strong, I was sure, but I was even more confident in Sasuke's abilities. When they rushed of to the side, our battle began as well.

I refused to hold anything back this time around, but I could tell that he was doing the same. In my peripheral, I saw a flash of yellow, so Naruto was here then. Good, He could give Sasuke backup with… What was that?

Zabuza laughed then commented, "Oh, so you've noticed. Haku is very special. He comes from a family with a rare bloodline. He can create and control ice as he wishes, but you shouldn't turn away from your opponent!" I just barely dodged a slash aiming for my jugular, receiving a thin rip through my mask, almost touching my skin.

"Sasuke's special too. He comes from the same clan that gave me my sharingan, so you shouldn't underestimate him either."

"Experience over a hereditary ability. Haku has gone through countless battles by my side, killed for me. He is my tool, my killing machine. How many real battles has your protege been in?" I stayed silent at this and Zabuza laughed, but Sasuke had something that Haku didn't have; a brother. I had to admit, I may not have been fully one hundred percent healed, but Zabuza didn't look to be at his best either.

Finally, when he felt cornered, Zabuza thickened the mist, believing he would have the advantage without sight. Oh how wrong he was. I quickly summoned my canine squad and they swarmed him. Before I ran in for the finishing blow, red chakra erupted from whatever ice building Zabuza's companion had made. Both of us paused to stare.

"What is this power?"

"Not good. That power is not good."

Our battle was forgotten for a few moments before one of my dog's reminded me that I still had to finish what was started. After charging up a chidori, I ran straight for Zabuza. I would have made a kill shot for sure, that is, if Zabuza's companion hadn't gotten in the way. The boy was young, as I suspected, but his unexpected blocking of my attack left me momentarily paralyzed as a similar situation from my past replayed before my eyes. The boy, no, Haku I believe it was, slumped to the ground. I made sure he didn't just fall, that would be disrespectful. Anyone willing to sacrifice their life for someone they cared for earned respect in my book.

Before anyone could make another move, a voice cut through the air. "You're not dead yet? Jeez, you ninja can't do anything right."

"Gato? What is the meaning of this?"

The short, gray-haired man folded his arms and smirked. "I was never planning on paying you! Now that you're weakened, my men will be able to take care of you easily!" A chorus of cheers erupted from the mob behind him, but Zabuza and I shared a brief glance.

"Well, it seems that you and I are no longer enemies, Kakashi of the sharingan."

"It would seem so."

"Hey, my arms are shot from your dogs, you mind calling them off and tossing me that kunai? All I ask is that I get the pleasure of ripping that man's throat out with my teeth."

Gato heard this, swallowing a lump in his throat as he stammered, "Y-you wouldn't be able to get that far!"

I looked up and made eye contact with Gato before releasing my summons, tossing Zabuza the kunai, and stating, "He's all yours." Zabuza smirked like the devil himself, catching the kunai in his mouth and rushing towards the old man at full speed. Gato ran into the thick of his hired crowd, but I knew that nothing would be able to keep Zabuza away from his prey now.

While Zabuza was busy, I limped over to Naruto, who was on the ground, cradling Sasuke in his arms. I knelt down to his level, and he looked up at me, tears streaming down his face.

"Kakashi, he's not breathing. He won't respond."

I sighed, the familiar sting of grief washing over me momentarily, but a flicker of something made me look at Sasuke again. With my sharingan still uncovered, I could see a small spark of chakra within him, and it was growing. That boy must have placed Sasuke in a near death state like he'd done with Zabuza.

"He was like a brother to me. No, he was my brother. Haku had asked me if I had precious people, but I didn't know it would hurt this much if I lost even one." Naruto began to sob, but I put a hand on his shoulder just as Sasuke stirred.

"Naru-to?"

"Sasuke? You're alive!"

Sasuke grunted at the bone-crushing hug he received, but sighed and poked Naruto's forehead protector questioning, "What kind of big brother would I be if I just died on you like that?"

Naruto shrugged jokingly, but it was then that I heard the scream and the splash. With a voice that shrill and annoying, it could only be Gato, so the hard part was over. Now came the question of how the mercenaries would react without their meal ticket. I tensed when the option of raiding the village was brought up, but an arrow quickly dispelled that idea. Somehow, Inari had gathered the villagers, and they were all armed with whatever weapons they could find. After Naruto and I made a few clones, the mercenaries felt outnumbered, so they fled with their tails between their legs.

Zabuza was still alive when we went to him, but we all knew he wouldn't last much longer. His final request was to be set alongside his comrade. I obliged and he began talking to Haku, though the boy was already gone. After a few more heartfelt moments, Zabuza slipped away. I would be sure to make both of them graves when everything was sorted out. While I was dealing with this, another heartfelt moment was unraveling.

Inari had run straight to Naruto, laughing and thanking him for giving him the confidence to stand up for what he'd truly loved. Naruto laughed also, apologizing for what he'd said before. After reviving the bridge builders, the day was spent in celebration. They would be able to build in peace now, though we would still stay and watch out for any trouble until the bridge was complete. Once I was done burying our old enemies, the mission became more of a vacation.

When it was finally time to leave, Naruto and Inari wiped tears from their eyes at having to say their goodbyes. As we were leaving, I could hear the name of the new bridge, chuckling at how our own village would've thrown a fit about such a thing just a year ago. When we were far along the path, Inari yelled to Naruto.

"Naruto! I promise to visit you, okay? So you'd better come back and visit me too, you hear?"

Naruto turned around waving before cupping his hands around his mouth agreeing, "It's a promise then!" I smiled under my mask. Making a promise with Naruto was like making a blood pact. No matter the obstacles, Naruto would be bound to find a way to keep his end of the deal.

(Sorry for how rushed it seems, I get really excited when I write and focus on the actions rather than dialogue. I also skip things I find boring, like all the meal times and such. It probably also feels faster because we're using Kakashi's POV and he never really saw as much as Naruto did. You guys can fill in the blank spots though I'm sure. Hope you enjoyed it, Beige out)


	11. Turbulence

(Ahhhhh! I am soooo sorry for leaving you guys hanging like that! My weekend was pretty hectic and I couldn't even open my laptop, let alone use it! Now I'm home, but my internet is really really bad. It keeps cutting out unexpectedly, so everything is going really slow. I hope you like the chapter!)

Hiruzen was not happy with me when we returned. He questioned why I hadn't ended the mission the moment I'd realized it wasn't what we'd signed up for, or at the very least called for backup. He seemed slightly pacified once he finished reading my report, though not completely satisfied. Since we received the pay of a C-ranked mission from the client for what was essentially an A-ranked one, the extra came out of my own bank account. This ensured that both the village and the genin members of my team received their due pay, though since Naruto and Sasuke both lived with me, It was the same as taking my money only to give it back.

Both Naruto and Sasuke had their own accounts mind you, Sasuke owning the late Uchiha funds, but both tended to use what they had to stock our fridge and other necessities around the house. I only hoped they would stock up properly for the fast-approaching Chunin exams. I had neglected to inform them once it was announced that Konoha would be the host village this year, but it was only due to a slight fear in the back of my mind that they weren't quite ready. I would have to crush that fear soon to give them enough time to get a feel around the idea and, hopefully, all decide to attend…

(The POV will be changing to Hinata for a while. I had intended for the entire story to be in Kakashi's parental POV, but it's not like he can hold their hands through the exam. I chose Hinata because I don't want to invade either Naruto or Sasuke's mindscapes. They're quite unpredictable and I want to leave interpretations of their feelings and actions up to the readers. I'll try to stick to the slightly dark-ish theme of this story and overplay Hinata's strict upbringing a bit. Sorry for the interruption.)

I was happy that everything turned out ok in the end, but I was ashamed that I wasn't as big a help as I could have been during the most crucial moments. There wasn't much I could've done while looking out for Tazuna, but I still felt as if I were just a burden on the team. We were able to rest for a few days after the mission, so I decided to work up the courage to ask Naruto on a d… dat… Ask him if he wanted to get ramen together... He was happy to come, but I also wanted to ask him if he would help me broaden my training regimen. Hyugas tend to stick to what they know, but I'm not the best at the clan techniques. Even my younger sister has surpassed me in skill… Anyways, I figured what better way to train than to ask a teammate? Someone who I would be working with for a while to come?

We walked to Ichiraku together and I offered to pay. Naruto had three bowls while he chattered about random things. He had grown much happier in the past few weeks, and it almost seemed as if the incident from April hadn't occurred at all, however, whenever he spoke, there was an undercurrent of insincerity in his words. Like, he wanted for everything to be alright, but in truth, there were things churning under the surface that wanted to come out. Because he'd dominated the conversation back at Ichiraku, I hadn't been able to ask my question by the time we began heading back to his home. I had just worked up the courage to ask when we heard a commotion from around a corner. Naruto went into hero mode immediately and ran towards the shuffling. When I followed, I saw foreign ninja holding the Hokage's grandson off the ground by his scarf.

"It was an accident!"

"I don't care, you should look where you're going before running, runt."

"Hey! What are foreign ninja doing threatening citizens of my village?"

"Back off, bud. He ran into me, I'm just paying back the favor."

Though the teen was intimidating, I decided to speak up. "D-do you know who that boy is?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes before replying, "Why no, I do not. I also don't care."

I swallowed the lump in my throat before taking a step forward announcing, "That boy is Konohamaru, Grandson of the Third Hokage!"

After a moment, the tall boy let out a huff and shoved Konohamaru, who Naruto swiftly caught, before responding, "Like I care about who's related to a Kage... Whatever, how about I take my frustrations out on the blond here then?"

Naruto stood, pushing Konohamaru behind him before questioning, "How about you tell me why I let hostile ninja in my village?"

It was then that the Idle female ninja behind the first one let out a laugh and scoffed, " _You_ let us in? I highly doubt that."

A new but familiar voice sounded from the tree next to us stating, "Oh he let you in alright. Naruto here has the sole authority to decide who can and cannot enter his home. He was given orders to leave the gate open for any and all visitors for the next few days by the Hokage." I hadn't known that, but of course Sasuke would have. He was standing in the tree, holding pebbles in his palm, ready to use them as projectiles if things became sketchy. Before anything else could be said, a new presence appeared in the tree in the form of a red-headed boy, closer to our age than the former two ninja.

"I am intrigued. Why would such a weak boy hold so much sway in the village?"

His aura immediately screamed danger to me, and alarm bells began ringing when even who I assumed to be his teammates began to get anxious, calling out his name in surprise. Gaara. I would remember that name. In a swirl of sand, he was no longer upside down on a branch, but beside his two companions, glaring at Naruto.

"I'm sure you've heard of the sacred tree that protects this village?" Gaara only nodded in acknowledgment and Naruto continued, "I planted it. It follows my commands. The barrier around the village protects it from invasions, but it also means that I must give explicit orders to the tree in the event of mass gatherings or if potentially hostile persons are expected to enter for say a peace treaty. It's not often as I have given control to the gatekeepers, however I was informed to tell the tree that many potentially hostile guests were to arrive. So, I ask again, what have you all come here for?"

It was the girl who spoke up stating, "If you haven't heard, then you probably shouldn't worry about it, but we're here to enter the Chunin exams."

I furrowed my brows before questioning, "Ch-Chunin exams?"

She nodded and followed, "It's how genin like us get promoted to Chunin."

The red-head suddenly stepped forward and stated, "I am Gaara of the desert. I hear it is customary to introduce oneself before asking for an introduction in turn."

Sasuke jumped from his branch to join his brother before Naruto stated, "Naruto. Naruto Hatake."

"And I am Sasuke Hatake." This came as news to me. As far as I knew, they were still using the surnames they'd had before Kakashi adopted them back in the academy.

"Very well. I will remember those names. Kankuro, Temari, we're leaving." Both stammered out their agreements before following him away. I was relieved that the tension of the situation was gone, but Konohamaru broke the ambiance with an exclamation.

"That was amazing! You guys were like 'you can't hurt the people of my village' and stood up to the bullies for me! You saved me from foreign ninja, so now I have to repay the debt! Teach me how to be a ninja!" Sasuke took this moment to retreat, leaving Naruto and me to deal with the situation. Of course though, Konohamaru was focusing more on Naruto. I mean, what had I done besides say a few words? And I stuttered whilst doing so. No matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to fumble over my words. Perhaps it was because I was always spoken over back at the compound, and any thoughts I seemed to have were belittled by the elders and my father. Thinking about it now, Naruto probably had better things to do than talk about my training.

"W-well, today was fun, Naruto, but I believe I'm needed at the compound. S-see you tomorrow."

My heart fluttered when he shone a brilliant smile my way replying, "Ok, Hinata. Take care."

I bowed to hide the flush on my cheeks before power-walking home. I was calm by the time I reached the compound, but Father was waiting for me in the main hall. "F-father. I'm home."

I bowed, but I could hear a huff come from him as he questioned, "Has Hatake informed you of the Chunin exams yet?" I shook my head no, but he continued, "Pity. If he does, you must enter, is that clear?"

"F-father?"

"No buts. There is no doubt that your teammates will be entering if Kakashi approves your team's attempt at promotion, and I refuse to allow you to tarnish the Hyuga name by sitting the exam out. If Kakashi Hatake informs your team that they are allowed to participate, I want no hesitation from you, is that clear?"

"Y-yes, Father!"

There was a long pause after that, but finally, Father turned away and began walking in the direction of his room, sternly reminding, "No hesitation."

I just stood there in the hallway for a while, long after he'd turned the corner, thinking to myself. If Father hadn't ordered me to enter, would I have found the courage to enter myself? A brief image of Naruto smiling at me from earlier flashed through my mind and I smiled myself. Yes, I think I would have.

Naruto, Sasuke and I were called in for duty the next morning, and Kakashi wasn't late for once. He eyed the three of us carefully before pulling out a stack of papers from his vest.

"I'm sure you three have heard by now, but the Chunin exams will be held in Konoha this year. I have already informed the Hokage that I approved you guys for entry, but it'll be up to you if you want to apply or not. Here are the forms you'll need to fill out to sign up. Be sure to read through them carefully. They have disclaimers, and I warn you, this isn't like any test you've taken before. People die in these exams, and by signing your names, you agree to take that risk."

Naruto scoffed, "We take that risk every time we go on a mission, how is this any different?"

"Well, Naruto, we risk our lives for the village when we go on missions. We won't force you to take the exam, and thus it is up to you to risk your life in this case."

Naruto snatched one of the bundles stating, "This is just one step towards my goal of becoming Hokage. As if I would miss this opportunity." Sasuke nodded and also grabbed a packet, flipping through it for a bit, but I began breaking out in a sweat. People have died in these exams? I managed to quell my hyperventilating as I tentatively reached for the final stapled stack of papers, skimming the first page once it was in my shaky grasp, but Kakashi cleared his throat to gain our attention before I could get much further.

"You don't have to make the decision here, in fact, if you did, it wouldn't be accepted as official. If you plan to enter, you must turn in those forms signed personally to a marked classroom at the Academy in three days. They'll have a sign in the front to guide you. I wish you luck in your decision." and with that, he vanished into a swirl of leaves. Both Naruto and Sasuke left, animatedly talking about the forms as they walked, but I put mine in my hidden jacket pocket to read at home.

I had to think about every step along the way, just to keep my mind from wandering to thoughts that would make me panic. Everything was just so hectic. Three days? Three days to decide whether or not I was willing to risk my life for a title? But… What if they needed me? I know I'm not brave or strong, but… I was still part of team seven, and that meant I would be abandoning my friends if I backed away from this. I would enter the Chunin exams. Not because of my father, but for my teammates.

(Hey, sorry again for the sudden change in POV. Naruto hadn't had the opportunity to meet Konohamaru earlier in my story, and I don't believe he'd invented the sexy Jutsu either, so the reason I switched POVs was to make the Konohamaru rescue scene also the scene in which Naruto meets the little tyke. Not sure if I'll use him in the future, but it's always good to have them familiar with each other if needed. The next chapter and more to follow will also be in Hinata's POV, I mean, seriously, it would be cheating if Kakashi followed them into the forest. I'll try my best to update like before, but chapters might start coming out weekly instead of daily pretty soon. Thanks for reading, Beige out.)


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